The East gable of St Andrews cathedral, St Andrews, Scotland. Constructed in 1160, this cathedral was the largest building in Scotland for centuries and allowed the growing city to become very influential. All changed in the 16th century when the Scottish Reformation was in full swing. The (Catholic) Archbishop of St Andrews, Cardinal David Beaton, was the leader of the anti-Protestant movement within the Scottish church and orchestrated the trials and brutal executions of several ‘heretics’. Before long, Beaton himself was assasinated. In 1559, the Calvinist chaplain John Knox delivered a fiery sermon in a nearby church and then in the streets that sparked off a riot. St Andrews Cathedral was sacked, the relics of St Andrew disappeared and the once great Catherdral fell into ruin. This event signalled the start of the Scottish Reformation and the end of the town’s religious influence. St Andrews today is a University town with many of its fine building built from the stones of the Cathedral.